Dr. Kokot is an otolaryngologist whose work encompasses all aspects of head and neck surgery, including the management of tumors in the oral cavity, larynx, pharynx, skull base, salivary glands and the thyroid gland, as well as microvascular surgery.

Here’s what you won’t find on his resume:

Baseball was his first career choice.

“I loved baseball growing up. Once I realized I couldn’t be a professional baseball player, I wanted to become a doctor.”

Family takes up his free time.

“When I am not working, I am spending time with my wonderful family. We love to take trips to Hawaii.”

If he could work somewhere else, it might be NASA.

“I am fascinated by space travel, exploration and the science behind it. If I had a chance to change careers with anyone, it would be with an astronaut.”

This inspirational phrase keeps him going.

“The best advice I have ever received is, ‘Never good, always better, never better, always best.’”

He sticks with you through it all.

“The most rewarding part of my job is being able to guide patients through their head and neck cancer care. This not only includes guiding patients through surgery and the immediate post-operative period, but it also includes guiding patients through their long-term recovery. It gives me great pleasure to congratulate patients who have been officially cured after five years.”

He gives his best to each and every patient.

“What inspires me to be the best I can be is that I feel that every patient deserves the best care possible, and therefore I try to give my very best effort to each patient.”

He believes technology has made impossible tasks possible.

“Head and neck cancer surgery has seen resurgence with the application of the da Vinci robotic system to treatment of cancers of the oropharynx. We are now able to treat cancers in this area in a minimally invasive fashion.”

His colleagues keep him going.

“The best part of working at Keck Medicine of USC is the fact that I get to work with a number of talented, caring individuals.”

Rehabilitation is crucial to his work.

“We offer all aspects of care in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery. But in addition to focusing on the surgical treatment of patients, we focus heavily on the rehabilitation of the head and neck cancer patient to improve quality of life for our patients.”

Dr. Kokot is an associate professor of clinical otolaryngology – head and neck surgery. Click here to view Dr. Kokot’s full biography.